Generational Escalator

I recently saw online that Jason Brudvik had finally received his black belt, under Javier Vasquez.  Well deserved.  I remember fighting him at Joe Moreira’s tournament in LA years ago.  It was outdoors at a large cultural fair.  The mats were on dirt.  Gazzy was registering people.  My friend Andre Anderson was there competing, as a blue belt.  I was a blue belt.  Dan Camarillo was a blue belt (who should have been purple), battling with Tyrone Glover (who also should have been purple) in the finals of their division.  Tyrone took the match on points.  My friend Kim Souza got a sweet armlock and won her division, too. 

My match with Jason was the first fight of the day. I focused on Judo during the lead up to the tournament, and all that was for naught when he instantly pulled guard.  He attacked fiercely for triangles and armlocks, and although I reversed and escaped once, he caught me again in a tight triangle.  I chipped my tooth just before I tapped.  He smoked me.  I recorded the rest of his matches and he swept the division, tapping everyone.  Long and lean like myself,  I was inspired by how fast he would attack and transition his attacks.  One of his armbars, seriously, looked like it had been sped up on film, but nothing had been altered.  He told me between matches that he was fighting in the next King of the Cage (KOTC).  I saw that show and he won his match handily.  By pulling guard and hitting a triangle. 

It was after showing this match to Mr. Harris that he stressed developing more aggression in my game.  It changed my mindset.  I went to Grappler’s Quest shortly thereafter and won my first match, and then tournament.  Losing to Jason caused me to adapt and develop.  So did losing to Nick Diaz.  And Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrossa.  I’ve lost to some of the best players of my generation.  We rise through the ranks together.  You take something away from your match, grappling with a new person.  And you give a little something too.   

When I started, Garth Taylor was a blue belt.  He and Ricco Rodriguez would battle as blues and purples in competition.  Claudio had just opened in a tidy school in Santa Cruz.  I was cruising up with my girlfriend Carolynn.  Stan Kendrick was also a blue belt.  It was early in the days of BJJ in Northern California.  Ralph had his school, and the Camarillo’s trained there.  So did Gumby and Scotty.  And Cameron Earle.  I remember seeing him as a blue belt tear through everybody with his armlock, in his division and the open too.  I watched his matches at purple, brown, and black, too.  Very tough.  And technical. 

He and David Camarillo were the first of Ralphs guys to get their black belts.  Many elder brothers went on to receive their black belt before I did.  Garth Taylor.  Daniel Thomas.  Stan Kendrick.  Doug Livingston.  These were my sempai (senior students) at Claudio Franca’s, where I received my blue belt.  My instructor after blue belt, Roy Harris, had his own generation before and beside him: Craig Kukuk, Bob Bass, James Boran, etc. 

We all get on the escalator.  Some of us are sprinting, some are resting, but we’re all moving forward.  You just have to stay on.  Someone may brush past you, you might cut ahead, but the groupings remain tight as long as you keep going.  Even if you’re just hanging by the handrail.  Or sitting there chilling with an injury.

Marcos Torregrossa and Andre Anderson are the next in line in our generation to receive the black belt.  Paul Shriner is coming due.  I was fortunate to be there for Tyrone Glover’s promotion at City Boxing, as Ricardo “Franjiha” Miller’s first black belt.  Jeff Glover also received his brown belt that night, and after winning the Pam Ams for the second time, was later promoted to black.  KOTC champion Matt Stansell was the first of Roy Harris’ students to receive his black, then Jeff Clark, then Kyle Saunders.  These are my brothers ahead of me, but still of a distinct generation of BJJ, under a particular teacher at a particular time.  Darren Goo, Brad Hirakawa and Jeff Baldwin are the brothers directly beside me. 

Early days of BJJ were a little rough.  Olympian warmups.  Lots of aggression, and not quite enough technique by most of the practitioners.  There wasn’t access to information like there is now.  It’s a different time.  A better time in many ways.  Hopefully a less political time.  We are the second generation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in America.  And we’re changing it.  Less gi.  More MMA applicability.  More leglocks.  More wrestling influence.  More athleticism.  More media exposure.  And more public interest.  Which means even more people can learn how to move on the ground, learn how to defend themselves, and make new friends in this generational process…